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"I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay": what it means

This is the most common sentence in Canadian refusal letters. It means the officer was not convinced you would go home when your visa or permit ends. It is not an accusation of lying. It is a judgment that your file did not show enough reasons to return, and it can be answered with better evidence.

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Written by NextMovePath editorial teamLast updated:

General information, not legal advice. Every refusal is different. For advice on your own case, speak to a Canadian immigration lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC).

The clock may already be running. To challenge a refusal in Federal Court you must file within 15 days if the decision was made in Canada, or 60 days if it was made outside Canada, counted from when you were told about it. How the deadline works

What exact wording do officers use?

The sentence starts the same way in most letters, then names a legal rule and one or more factors. For a study permit, letters commonly read:

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, as stipulated in paragraph 216(1)(b) of the IRPR, based on your family ties in Canada and in your country of residence.

For a visitor visa, the rule is different but the idea is the same:

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident, as stipulated in paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.
Letters vary slightly. Some say “subsection 216(1)”. Work permit letters usually cite subsection 200(1).

The ending after “based on” tells you which factor worried the officer. The usual endings are:

  • “your family ties in Canada and in your country of residence”
  • “the purpose of your visit”
  • “your personal assets and financial status”
  • “your current employment situation”
  • “your travel history”
  • “your immigration status” (in the country where you live)

Many letters tick several factors at once. Each one is a separate doubt that your next application must answer.

What does this refusal actually mean?

It means you did not prove “temporary intent”. The regulations say an officer shall issue a visitor visa only if the applicant will leave Canada by the end of the authorized stay (IRPR 179(b)). The same test applies to study permits under IRPR 216(1)(b). The burden is on you, not the officer.

IRCC’s own pages put it in plain words. To visit, you must convince an officer that you have ties, such as a job, home, financial assets or family, that will take you back to your home country. To study, you must prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your study permit expires.

So the officer is not saying you are dishonest. They are saying that, on the papers in front of them, the pull to stay in Canada looked stronger than the pull to go home. Your job is to change that balance with facts the officer can check.

Why do officers doubt that people will leave?

Officers weigh what draws you back home against what might keep you in Canada. When the home side looks thin, or the file has gaps, they refuse. The factor list in the letter shows which side of the balance was weak.

  • Few ties at home: no stable job, no business, no property, or no close family who stay behind.
  • Strong ties to Canada: close relatives in Canada, especially when the rest of your family is also abroad.
  • Unclear purpose: a trip or study plan that does not fit your age, job, money or past studies.
  • Money that does not add up: funds that appeared recently with no explanation, or income that cannot support the trip.
  • Little travel history: no record of visiting other countries and returning on time.
  • Uncertain status where you live: for example, living in a third country on a permit that ends soon.

What evidence answers this refusal?

Evidence of what you will return to, backed by documents an officer can verify. Match each document to a factor in your letter. Do not add paper for the sake of volume.

Employment and business

  • An employer letter with your position, salary, start date and approved leave dates, on letterhead.
  • Recent pay slips and matching bank deposits.
  • Business registration, tax filings and business bank statements if you are self-employed.

Family and home

  • Proof of a spouse, children or parents who depend on you and remain at home.
  • Property ownership or a long-term lease in your name.

Travel and status

  • Previous visas and entry and exit stamps showing you returned on time.
  • Proof of your legal status in your country of residence, if it is not your country of citizenship.

Purpose and money

  • A clear letter of explanation: why this trip or program, why now, and what you do after.
  • Bank history over several months, with any large deposit explained and documented.
Read your officer decision notes before you collect documents. They usually say which part of your file the officer found weak. See how to get your notes.

What mistakes should I avoid when I reapply?

The main mistake is sending the same application again. IRCC says that applying again with the same information will likely not change the decision. Other common problems:

  • Answering only one factor when the letter ticked three. Each ticked factor needs its own answer.
  • Unexplained new money. A large deposit just before applying often creates a new doubt instead of solving the old one.
  • A generic letter of explanation copied from the internet. Officers read many of these.
  • Changing facts from the first application without saying why. Any change needs an honest explanation.
  • Hiding the refusal. The forms ask about past refusals. A false answer can be treated as misrepresentation, which carries a five-year ban under section 40 of the Act.

Should I reapply or challenge this refusal?

Reapply if your file was weak. Consider Federal Court if your file was strong and the officer ignored it. For example, if you sent an employer letter with approved leave and the notes say you have no employment, that may be an error worth reviewing.

Court deadlines are 15 days for decisions made in Canada and 60 days for decisions made outside Canada. Compare both paths in Reapply or go to Federal Court?

Which related refusal reasons usually appear with this one?

This sentence is almost always joined to a factor. Read the guide for each factor your letter names:

Official sources

We checked these pages when writing this guide. Rules and forms change, so confirm on the official page before you act.

Common questions

It means the officer did not believe you are a genuine temporary visitor, student or worker. The law says an officer can only issue a visa or permit if you establish that you will leave Canada by the end of your authorized stay. The officer decided your application did not prove that.
No. It is a decision on one application. IRCC says you can apply again at any time unless your letter says you cannot. It is different from a misrepresentation finding, which does carry a five-year ban.
Both are in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Paragraph 179(b) is the test for a temporary resident visa, such as a visitor visa. Paragraph 216(1)(b) is the same test for a study permit. Work permit letters usually cite subsection 200(1).
Evidence of what you are going back to: a job with approved leave, a business, studies, property, dependants who stay at home, and a history of travelling and returning on time. Evidence that the trip or program makes sense for you matters too. One strong, verifiable document is worth more than many weak ones.

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